Festival je mreža odnosov. Začasna, avtonomna mreža gostov, avtoric in avtorjev, strokovnjakov in strokovnjakinj, ki se zberejo, pridejo, se sinhronizirajo na isti lokacijo ob istem času. Je mreža organizatorjev, strokovnih sodelavk, sodelavcev in publike, ki festival spremlja, ga soustvarja, razvija in živi. In seveda je mreža makro in mikro lokacij, kjer se festival dogaja in zgodi oziroma mreža predavanj, av-dogodkov, delavnic in postavitev umetniških del ustvarjenih v, z, za in ob računalniku. Festival računalniške umetnosti.The festival is a network of relationships. It is a temporary, autonomous network of guests, authors, experts and specialists who collect, come together, and are synchronized to the same location at the same time. Is a network of organizers, professional associates, colleagues and the audience that accompanies the festival; it co-creates, develops and lives. And, of course, it is a network of macro and micro locations where the festival happens and where network lectures, AV events, workshops and placement of works of art created in, by, and for the computer happen. It is a festival of computer art.

»Zaupanje.1« kot že 22.edicija Mednarodnega festivala računalniških umetnosti ali krajše MFRUja preizprašuje in analizira razumevanje, stopnjo in načine zaupanja lokalne, mariborske intermedijske platforme na eni strani in dekonstruira ter kontemplira kakšna, kje in čemu računalniška umetnost danes oziroma kako, koga in s čim računalnik deluje, vzpostavlja, deli, obstaja. “Trust.1” as the 22nd edition of the International Computer Arts Festival, or MFRU for short, re-examines and analyzes the understanding of the level of confidence and the ways local, Maribor intermedia platform on one side, and Trust,1 deconstructs and contemplates the what, where and why of computer art today and the how, the when and the workings of a computer as it creates on the other side.

Zaupanje.1 začenja tri(3)-letno serijo “zaupanj”, ki želijo nadaljevati, pa hkrati tudi razvijati temelje in smeri razvoja odprtega, izobraževalno-humanističnega in umetniško-kreativnega organizma, kar je Mednarodni festival računalniške umetnosti (MFRU=IFCA) že od svojih začetkov v sredini devetdesetih let prejšnjega stoletja. Trust.1 initiates a three(3)-year series of „trusts“ with the intent to continue, but also to develop, the foundation and direction of development of the open, educational, humanistic and artistic-creative organism which is the International Festival of Computer Art (IFCA=MFRU), from its beginnings in the middle nineties.

Rastite z nami. Zaupajmo si. To je trenutek, ko postanemo mi. Grow with us. Trust ourselves. This is the moment when we become we.

Over the course of a scientific performance a short, digital, e-mail survey was conducted- short and direct questions about the differences between Maribor and Linz, between an Austrian festival and a Slovenian festival, questions about the differences between IFCA-eat and Ars Electronica were sent to colleagues and acquaintances as well as strangers; professionals who are experts in both festivals, in both cities and countries, whether professionals or just laypersons in the field. What they said, through the following eclectic inventory, is as follows: The difference between the two festivals, as written- some regular visitors, participants and even winners of the Austrian festival tie industry and culture into one, or harness the enthusiasm of the respective operators in Maribor IFCA’s on the other hand. Ars Electronica is an institution withhistory and vision, IFCA is like a philatelic club. IFCA is supposedly concieved much more with copyright in mind and pursued “trends” from a safe distance. “Strange question” was one answer, or, a comparison of these two festivals is quite superfluous. The differences are so obvious that it is almost meaningles to describe, wrote a Slovenian scientist, asserting that this is like comparing a whale and a lamb on the grounds that they are both mammals. Ultimately, someone recorded, I was much more attractied to the IFCA, because for me the Ars Electronica simply too big a festival. And therefore, theoretically, I value less a visit to Linz than to Maribor’s IFCA museum and festival center, and the presence of technology and art in this small, industrial city, stretched over the whole year, with an annual peak, in the form of the Festival, of course. The University has the appropriate programs and Ars Electronica is a real generator of the future. In Maribor, the local policy so far has destroyed or made mostly impossible the field of contemporary art practices and other artistic fields. He asks why, and then proceeds to say, simply, primarily due to universal ignorance and lack of awareness of the omnipresence of technology and long-term effects thereof in changing awareness and generating various artistic practices by such use. And, of course, their own narrow personal interests, in a rural environment such as Maribor, find a favorable environment for implantation and survival. Ars Electronica follows theoretical, technological and practical currents in art predicts development of radical premisses between science and art, if you conclude almost a bit pessimistically, but very realistically. IFCA clings to the genre or the idea of a digital mind, an idea and concept of the early 90s. Definitely the Ars Electronica compared with IFCA is a more complex and megalomaniacal project that breathes and lives together with the city, and Ars Electronica has more mileage behind it, covering global intermedia, research, science and new media scene. Among other things, it is also a primary and world recognized tourist attraction of the city of Linz. A brand the city Linz has constructed and built for many years, with strong support of the provincial government, the city of Linz and interest on a national level, with many sponsors that have a lot of money. For these reasons, it is possible to organize such a project. The city of Linz is a very rich city that has a lot of very good standing industry supporting the AEF (AEF being the abbreviation for the Ars Electronica festival). Maribor, the city of IFCA- is still very far from this symbiosis of linking the economy to culture and art. At IFCA-I never did I see as many visitors as at AEF says one of the last corresponding. IFCA among other things, arose from inspiration from a a to visit to AEF by the founders of IFCA (Dobrila, Kostič, and Slaček). Ars Electronica generated events, workshops and exhibitions, forming a festival in connection with various institutions and this is also evident from the diversity of the program at several locations and in integration between academia. IFCA uses selectors or in some cases, the last year alone the head of the festival, which creates the program, and at times he feels that the program is very underdeveloped when compared with AEF as far as cooperation between local institutions and the technical assistants following the global scene of computer-to-digital Art. Ars Electronica attracted a crowd manifold, and the center itself is adveturous, also a moment where the general crowd can detect interactions with new technologies. Mostly the center operates throughout the year, allowing greater visibility for the festival. IFCA ‘lands’ in the city and throughout the year in Maribor. Nothing happens in IFCA as a platform, which also does not allow that most people come to realize the importance of the festival during the year, or to inform an interested public. So, different audiences remain intact. AEF is an institution with a large building, museums, laboratories, with continuous research and experimentation, with with technicians, engineers and artists working there together all year. It is very well funded by the government and the number of companies that have a lot of money is large AEF if an international Festival of many international artist, theoreticians and audience. AEF is, in my opinion, “larger than life” and, therefore, anonymous, impersonal and sometimes an all-embracing danger. We are completely submerged and perhaps a bit lost in this universe, in those places, in this technology. Of course, in Linz, the Austrian state is very crazed over its leading role in the artistic scene on such a large scale, so the AEF always on the cutting edge of new technologies and this will only continue. IFCA is a much more intimate kind of festival where on finally everybody knows everybody. IFCA never had ambitions to become the leader in this area, but is still trying to stay on the pulse of time and slightly away from the mainstream, having its own mode of approaching the world of art and computer science. In short, when I am in Linz, I always feel like a traveler with a short-term visa in the world of tomorrow while in Maribor always feel among friends adn watch prospects for the future, rather than the future itself. AEF is boring with much money and luxury and excess boredom. The awards ceremony. very much flirts with the audience, bringing together engineers and artists, or is in some way pop-events, with the sale of technology and not ideas, not concepts. Together with the city of Linz, AEF has a cemented scene, where, unfortunately, the level decreases and coming to a closed circle of people, because things are difficult, repeating every year. IFCA is more generic, linked to the environment, the local environment and the logical. Integration of engineers and artists. It is guerrilla event at many different locations and several border areas. Both festivals have, show, exhibit similar things, patterns,… They are both artistic manifestations with a sense of taste, fairs of technology and design.